Stopper



P. LINK.

SYOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28. 1920.

Patentd Jan. 11, 1921.

UNITED STATES PHILIP]? LINK, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

STOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Application filed May 28, 1920. ,Serial No. 384,906.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PHILIPP LINK, a citizenof the United States of America, residing at Newark, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Stoppers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to stoppers for receptacles adapted tocontain effervescent or fermenting liquids such as wines, beers, milk,etc, and has for its principal object to provide a construction which,when during the process of fermentation, the pressure of the gases inthe receptacle tend to exceed a certain maximum will open automaticallyto relieve the excess pressure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combination stopper andsiphon which can be readily andeas'ily applied to or removed from thereceptacle.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novelconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will behereinafter more fully described and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification andin which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts, Figurel is a side elevation of a receptacle equipped with my new device; Fig.2 is a sectional view of the neck portion of the receptacle and of thedevice; Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the neck portion of the receptacleequipped with a modified stopper and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section online 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Ordinary stoppers, such as corks or caps, when used on bottlescontaining fermenting liquids, are objectionable, because when thepressure of the gases in the receptacle during the fermentation processexceeds a certain maximum, either the receptacle bursts, or the stopperflies off.

As regards the hitherto used siphon construction, the same ispermanently fixed to the receptacle and in case of breakage of thelatter, the siphon becomes useless to the consumer and is often thrownaway, as the attachment of the siphon to another receptacle cannot beefiected without special methods or instruments. In addition to thisdrawback there is also the objection to the considerable cost ofmanufacture of such siphon bottles.

lVith the present invention I obviate these drawbacks.

The bottle a has clamped or otherwise fixed around its neck portion Z),a member 0 in which is pivotally supported a laterally looped yokeshaped wire member (Z such as used on beer bottles. Engaging the loops dthereof by its hook shaped ends 6 is second wire member 0, the upperpart of which is bent to form a spring loop (2 This spring loop isadapted to bear freely but with pressure on top of the stopper 7, to bepresently described, and to normally hold said stopper tightly in closedposition. The stopper f is in form of a plug f adapted to fit loosely inand project down the mouth of the bottle or receptacle. The upper end ofthe stopper is formed with a disk shaped enlargement f Bearing on theinner annular face thereof is a suitable washer ring 9 fitted around theplug f and adapted to produce a tight closure when bearing with pressureon the upper edge of the receptacle. Extending longitudinally in thecircumference of the plug f almost throughout the entire length of thelatter is a groove P which constitutes a' discharge passage, throughwhich the gases developed during the process of fermentation are allowedto escape on the pressure surpassing a certain maximum and the springforce of the loop 0 being overcome by the excess pressure. The stopper fthen is allowed to rise sufficiently to expose the upper end of the passage 7. The spring loop of the yoke is advantageously so shaped that itwill bear on the stopper at a point located intermediate the center andthe marginal edge of the disk shaped head f opposite the groove f of thestopper, so that the pressure on the side of the stopper where thepassage is located will be somewhat weaker than on the opposite sidethereof. In consequence thereof the grooved side of the plug will risequicker under the excess pressure than the opposite side of the plug andthe latter will, there fore, in rising tilt around the edge of the loop6 in the manner indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, until the upper endof the passage f has risen beyond the upper edge of the neck to releasethe excess pressure.

To prevent the spring loop from sliding off the top of the stopper asuitable catch member h is provided on the upper face of the disk fadapted to engage said loop. Tightly fixed in and projecting centrallythrough the stopper is a siphon tube '2' of glass or other suitablematerial, the lower part of which extends through and almost to thebottom of the receptacle and the upper part of which projects outwardlyfrom the stopper and is curved in the usual manner. To the end of thesaid upper part is suitably fixed a head piece j of metal or othersuitable material having a discharge passage j and a discharge nozzle 7'The said discharge passage is controlled by a screw threaded valve bodyis working in the forward threaded portion of the head and cooperatingwith a suitable washer Z provided at the outer end of the dischargepassage j. The valve body 70 is provided with a wheel shaped handle it"affording an easy manipulation thereof.

The chief advantage of my novel combination stopper and siphon is thatit can be easily and readily applied to and removed from the bottle.

Another great advantage is that the device can be safely applied toreceptacles containing fermenting liquids as beers, wines, etc.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the construction of thedevice is simplified and the siphon omitted. The passage m in the plug mof the stopper serves both for the discharge of excess gases and theliquid. The stopper is applied to and held in position on the bottlesubstantially in the same manner as in the first example. To the outerface of the disk m of the stopper a thumb member a is fixed whereby thestopper can be tilted into the open position when it is desired todischarge the liquid. The spring loop 6 like the loop in the firstexample presses the stopper tightly down into closing position, butpermits the tilting of the stopper to automatically open the dischargeunder excess pressure. The bent edge n of the thumb member serves as acatch or stop to prevent the loop from sliding off the stopper. Aroundthe plug of the stopper there is the usual washer (not shown) foreffecting a tight closure.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a receptacle containing effervescent orfermenting liquids, a stopper having a circumferential dischargepassage, a spring member tiltably supported on said receptacle andadapted with its free end to bear on the outer face of said stopper soas to normally hold said stopper in closed position, but under excesspressure to permit said stopper to rise and tilt laterally, therebyopening said discharge and relieving said excess pressure.

2. In combination with a receptacle c011- taining effervescent orfermenting liquids, a stopper having a circumferential dischargeopening, a member adapted to be clamped to said receptacle, a springtiltably borne in said member and the free end of which is adapted toengage the upper face of said stopper to hold the latter normallyclosed, but under excess pressure to permit said stopper to rise andtilt laterally thereby opening said discharge and relieving said excesspressure and a catch for preventing said spring from sliding off thesaid stopper.

3. A siphon for a receptacle containing efiiervescent or fermentingliquids, comprising a plug to fit in the mouth of said receptacle andhaving a circumferential discharge, a spring member tiltably supportedon said receptacle and the free end of which is adapted to engage saidplug so as to normally hold the latter in closed position, but underexcess pressure to permit said plug to rise and tilt laterally therebyopening the discharge and relieving said excess pressure.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PI-IILIPP LINK. Witnesses:

MAX D. ORDMANN, J osnrn T. McMANON.

